A cheap Pre amp for the Shure SM7B?

[fatbagg]

Hi,

I'm new here and don't know a lot about gear and stuff like that. I recently bought a Shure SM7B but I don't have a pre amp (yet) and I don't have a lot of money left. I know pretty stupid but I do need a pre amp that works pretty well with the SM7B and I read on some forums that the SM7B needs at least 60db of clean gain. Now my question is, is there a pre amp out there that isn't expensive and does work well with the SM7B? I'm using it for hiphop vocals and my budget is $200. I'm from the Netherlands and I did find some but you can't get them here so I hope I can get those here. I did find a M-Audio Fast Track Pro + Pro Tools MP9 for 145,- but doubt if this goes well with the SM7B.

 

[Gmoney]

Go check out Emotiva amps and pre-amps they have bottom feeder amps and pre-amps. Good gear good value for not a lot of coin. Now they also have up the food chain gear also but their Competitors also sell mid-Level gear also. Monolith, Outlaw don't know though if they have pre-amps. But Google is a goid start, or check out Amazon they have sellers from all over the map. Just Depends on which "Bank" you decide to fish off of.

 

[TLS Guy]

Hi,

I'm new here and don't know a lot about gear and stuff like that. I recently bought a Shure SM7B but I don't have a pre amp (yet) and I don't have a lot of money left. I know pretty stupid but I do need a pre amp that works pretty well with the SM7B and I read on some forums that the SM7B needs at least 60db of clean gain. Now my question is, is there a pre amp out there that isn't expensive and does work well with the SM7B? I'm using it for hiphop vocals and my budget is $200. I'm from the Netherlands and I did find some but you can't get them here so I hope I can get those here. I did find a M-Audio Fast Track Pro + Pro Tools MP9 for 145,- but doubt if this goes well with the SM7B.

You do not need a preamp, but a professional microphone mixer. The input impedance needs to be 19 to 300 Ohms balanced. It is a professional dynamic microphone and relatively low output. You are correct you do need at least 60 db of gain. However one of the most important features of a mixer is its head room. If you don't have that as you sing louder the mixer clips hard. This is universal among cheap mixers and some not so cheap.

However I can not advise you further than this, as I do not know how you are going to use it. Is it for PA or recording or both? Will other musicians be joining you, other singers and instrumentalists?

Next, what are you going to feed the mixer into? That is really crucial. I have no idea if you need a mixer plus preamp and power amp.

I have nowhere near enough information to advise.

You have bought a professional high end vocal microphone. Now for it to be any use, you need a full line of professional equipment to go with it, not some home device. You need a pro chain all the way from mic to speakers and or recording device.

Lastly I would point out that this is a home AV forum and not a pro forum. However I have extensive experience of professional equipment in this area and still own a lot of it. So I can help, you, but I have a feeling you have no idea what you have got yourself into. You should not have bought that microphone until you had planned the total system and budgeted for it.